The first mission flashes back to days earlier, smack dab in the middle of the infamous Operation Market Garden, the largest paratrooper operation of World War II. Sure, it’s not an entirely unfamiliar setting, but the way you make your entrance is something we haven’t seen before. Your squad is air-towed in an engine-less glider that then crash lands in a field behind enemy lines. The goal is (was) to secure a road (Hell’s Highway) crucial to Allied victory.If you’re not up on the history we won't ruin the outcome for you... but it wasn't good.
Re-enlistees of BiA have come to expect the cinematic grandeur that Gearbox loves to pull off. Rousing scores, well choreographed action sequences and characters you’ll actually care about are just the first step in immersing you in the trenches. (We know it’s a game, but we loved the opening shot done in a single long-take similar to the Copa scene in Goodfellas, or the opening of Serenity.)
From a first person perspective, you’ll give your boys a pep talk and head into battle. You’ll need their help, because BiA hasbeen about on-the-fly squad tactics from day one. You’ll tell them where to go, how to execute flanking maneuvers, and where to lay down suppressing fire.
Speaking of which, suppression is key to the realism in Hell’s Highway. Cover here is helpful, but it’s not a means of making you invincible. Nazis take cover just like you do, but you can see where they’re hiding via the red Suppression Icon. They’re no dummies, and they won’t jump in front of a bullet, but throw down enough fire in and around their hidey-hole, the icon’s meter depletes and the forces your enemies to take desperate measures. Kill or be killed.
Death Stranding 2 pre-orders are estimated to go live this month, and will reportedly include a $230 collector's edition that I pray doesn't come with another creepy baby statue
Playing Atomfall for 90 minutes booted me out of my comfort zone more than any other survival action game, and that's a very good thing
